opening
of spring, and at once fell to work to restore to some degree of comfort
that most desolate of scenes, an abandoned camp. Unfortunately, on
leaving the place, little thinking that they were so soon to return,
they had burned everything combustible, and thus a strip of board or a
piece of timber could hardly be found within the limits of the corps.
Nevertheless, comfortable quarters were soon erected, and the routine of
drills and picket was resumed.

Brigadier-General Neill, who was assigned to the command of the Third
brigade, was active in encouraging his men to provide good quarters, and
in furnishing every facility in his power to make them comfortable. The
general was a portly gentleman, with light red hair and whiskers, and a
small blue eye, ceremonious in his style, and a perfect pattern of
courtliness. He had, at West Point, won the appellation of "Beau Neill,"
a title which never left him. He was a good commander in camp. He
originated the brigade dress parade that winter, often calling out the
brigade on fine evenings, and substituting the brigade for the
regimental parade. The custom was at length adopted in many brigades in
the army of the Potomac; but few gave credit for the improved parade to
the originator of it.

The second failure of General Burnside rendered his removal from the
command of the army a thing to be expected; and no one was surprised
when the order came relieving him, and assigning General Hooker to the
command. It must be confessed that our failure at Bank's Ford had done
much to demoralize the army and destroy the confidence in the commanding
general so absolutely necessary to success. On our way back from Bank's
Ford, as we passed Fredericksburgh, we saw huge placards posted up by
the rebels with taunting inscriptions, such as "Burnside stuck in the
mud," printed in conspicuous letters. The men caught up the words, and
"Burnside stuck in the mud" passed from one end of the disordered column
to the other. When we had failed at Fredericksburgh, the men were as
willing as ever to try again under the same commander. They believed him
to be at least earnest and brave. They knew that he was noble and
self-sacrificing. In the noble letter to General Halleck, in which he
assumed all the responsibility for the failure at Fredericksburgh, they
found renewed assurance that he had all the qualities of a true
soldier--bravery, integrity and true manhood; but an army must have
success, or i